As Long as the Sun still Shines
by Deus Mundum
Summary: This is the story of the life of Pantheon. Throughout this story we will join Pantheon on his journey to become a warrior capable of protecting those who are dear to him. But will Pantheons trials and training be enough to handle what lies ahead?
1. Prologue - The End of Days

**As Long as the Sun still Shines**

**Prologue - The End of Days**

I can hardly see. The blood dripping from my head has almost completely blinded me. I stand at the gate of oblivion itself, I feel my legs ready to give out. I can hardly stand let alone go on. I can hear the mewling and festering of the creatures. "Damn it!" I scream out, "If I don't do something who will?" Everyone who stood with me has fallen to their onslaught. "What's the point…" I weakly mutter to myself, "they've already won." I fall to my knees, I've accepted defeat. I can see the outline of a creature in front of me, its claws raised to attack. Once it brings them down, I'll be dead. "Maybe this is destiny" I whisper to myself. I let out a weak chuckle as I ready myself for the embrace of the end. The beast snarls as it rips its claws downward but, I feel no pain. Instead I hear the clash of claw and metal as a second figure enters my vision. "Is this really it?" I hear a voice from the figure, a woman. My mind is so hazy I cannot think of who it is. "Is this really all 'The Great Pantheon' has to give?" Shut-up. I've given up. It's useless to keep trying. "So that's it then! You're just going to lie there in your own blood and die like a coward?!" Yes. That was the idea. Why won't you just let me die? So noisy. My minds going, I'm losing consciousness I can't think straight. Darkness. I can see nothing as my mind slips, my eyes closed. I've accepted my fate. I can hear the echoes of battle in the distance. Battle. Why? What was I even fighting for? Honor? Glory? Nothing so simple. When I think about it, this all started a long time ago.


	2. Chapter 1 - New Resolve

**Chapter 1 - New Resolve**

My name is Dion, son of Horthane, and this is my story. I was born a Rakkor, a tribe of mighty warriors who revere combat and war as the ultimate art forms. We live on the great Mount Targon, a colossal mountain overseeing a large mass of Valoran. It is here I grew up and thought I would live out the rest of my days, only leaving when battle called. Oh how I dreaded the thought. I was never like the others growing up, I wasn't fit for battle like the rest of them. I trained just as father wanted but, my heart just wasn't in it. My true passion, the thing that really got me excited…was baking. I loved to bake, the sounds, the smells and the taste. It was all just so wonderful. Of course the other children didn't take to kindly to my hobby. Oddly enough, it was the very hobby of baking that got me where I am today.

…

It was a sunnier than normal today. I had been given the rest of the day to myself, my father did that more often as of late. I get the feeling he's given up on me, however, that didn't matter to me because that just meant I got to have some fun. I rushed home as father was still out hunting I could have some time to myself. On the way back I collected some sticks and kindling as I was running low. Once I entered our home I got to work immediately. I've only been able to do this a few times but I've gone through this process so many times it's reflexive at this point. First I check all the rooms, father doesn't exactly approve of this and my brother can be a hassle. Next I set up the rocks with the kindling underneath it. I then retrieve my mixture from this morning, I've gotten everything perfectly this time today is the day I finally make my own bread. I light the fire and place my glob on top of my makeshift stove. Only a few minutes I can smell the sweet aroma of the bread as it begins to bake. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. The smell of fire and fresh bread enter my nostrils the crackling of the fire rings in my ears, such a wonderful sound. But, my fun was not to last.

Suddenly I found myself lifted in the air in a full nelson and before you ask no one knows why we call it that. As I open my eyes I'm greeted with the face of my brothers his friend holding me. He brings his face close to mine and says "What's this? What are you up too little Dion?" My brother Theron, fathers pride and joy. He's most of the reason father doesn't care much about my failures, but my brother makes an effort to "Put me in my place" when he can. "Cut it out Theron, what did I ever do to you?" My weak protest. My brother doesn't seem to care much. "Because you're an embarrassment not only to father but to me. You need to get your act together Dion and it seems we need to force you to see this" Theron turns around swinging his foot directly into my stove toppling it over. "No!" I exclaim as the rocks hit the ground with my bread. Theron brings his foot down on the loaf. "It's for your own good Dion, how can you expect anyone to respect such a pathetic warrior-" My brothers head jerks forward as he's struck from behind. "Pick on someone your own size!" His assailant proclaims. Theron turns to greet his new enemy. "Who do I need to teach a lesson?"

As he locks eyes with the perpetrator. He clicks his teeth. "It's only you Leona, I was hoping for a real challenge" "You're aware I can beat you in a fight any day Theron" She retorts standing triumphantly holding a small stick. Leona's and my family have been close for as long as I remember, Leona being one of the only people who accepts my hobby and doesn't think of me as a failure. My brother with a defeated tone calls out "Let's go man, this is a waste of time." I'm dropped to the ground as Theron and his friend retreat. I stare at my bread crushed and broken beyond repair. Tears well up in my eyes, I try to hold them back but it's no use. I see a hand tear a piece of the bread as I look up I see Leona about to eat it. "Don't! It was on the ground it's dirty!" I try to stop her but she just asks back,

"You made this right?"

"What?"

"I asked if you made this."

"Well, yes, but I wasn't done and it was on the grou-"

She places a finger on my mouth "Well then we can't let it go to waste" as she says that she tosses the piece for bread in her mouth. While chewing she looks at me with a smile and says "It's good". I can feel a warmth in my heart, a warmth that can only be felt from her smile.

Leona and I have been friends for so long I've grow accustom to her saving me. Leona's grandmother was the one who taught me how to bake. Well, she taught both of us but Leona was…well let's just say we don't let her bake on the off chance that Noxus try to use it in chemical warfare. But, even with her aptitude for battle, she still stays by someone as weak and pathetic as me. In the midst of my thought I feel pain on my head. I snap back to my senses to see a disgruntled Leona holding her stick firmly. "Why did you hit me?" I ask. "You weren't listening. I was asking you a question and you were just staring at me."

"I...I…I I'm sorry"

"Quit stuttering, real men don't stutter"

"Yes sir- I mean ma'am!"

"Good, now listen up. You can't keep letting Theron pick on you like that. You got to stand up for yourself Dion"

"But, I can't. Theron is too strong for me, there's no point in fighting back"

"Dion, do you think Theron whines and complains like that? No he doesn't. He just stops thinking and fights."

"…"

"This is what I mean, whenever you don't want to deal with something you just get scared and ignore it. Why can't you just be a little more like your brother?"

With that, I could see the image of my father. He's said that to me more times than I can count. When she said that it's like something in me snapped. I shot up to a stand as I pushed her over. "Hey what's the big ide-" she stopped abruptly. I stare in anger at her, saying nothing. "Hey…Dion?" I stomp forward and jut my head towards her, as I take a deep breath I prepare to yell, but I'm stopped. I stop as I see the confused and worried face of Leona. Tears well up as I realize what I did. I cover my face as I run out to escape her. I think I hear her call after me but I'm too far gone to notice the call.

I've made my way up the mountain, I just had to get away from there to cool my head. I've always had a temper, but why did Leona have to say something like that? What was she thinking? I know I'm pathetic, but I don't need someone telling me that. She's just so thick-headed. Leona always says things without thinking. She just blurts things out…and…I always…I always over react. I let out a heavy sigh and take a deep breath. The cool mountain air runs through me cooling my temper more. I shouldn't have gotten so mad at her. I'm sure she didn't really mean it, although…if she did, she has a point. I should just go back and apologize to her, that'll make this all better.

I turn down the mountain to make my decent. However, I'm greeted not by the clear path I had coming up, but a storm forming and rather quickly too. I need to find shelter before it gets too cold. I look around and notice a cave a little higher on the mountain. I begin to run towards it, but the deep snow slows me down and the storm quickly catches up to me. I trip over my own feet and my face is buried in the snow. Damn it, I'm so stupid! Why didn't I notice the storm earlier? The cold's getting to me. I can hardly move…I might die here. Dead? Me? "No…no…NO!" I yell out in tears, it echo through the mountain air, but the wind of the storm overwhelms me. I still have to apologize to Leona. My consciousness begins to fade. Damn it! I can't fall asleep, if that happens then I really will be dead. But, it's getting so hard to move. I'm too cold and so tired. I see a figure approach me, but before I can call out to it my mind is taken by the cold, as I fall asleep.

…

"Hey…Hey…wake up." I hear a voice call out to me. A dream? Where was I? I can't remember. I was…I…I got mad at Leona and…LEONA! I have to apologize! "L…Leona…L…L…Leo…LEONA" I shoot up from laying down. "Ah! Don't scare me like that, waking up so suddenly." A voice, the voice calling me. I turn to greet it. "Leona?" "I don't know who this Leona girl is but that's not my name" I turn to see a young girl, about my age. She's a pale beautiful girl with long glossy white hair. "Hello? Earth to dumb-ass? Stop staring at me it's creepy" I realize I was enthralled by her looks I had been staring. "Sorry" I look around. We're in a cave, a fire next to me. "Wasn't I outside?" I ask the girl.

"Yeah, but I heard your yelling and it got annoying so I went out to look. When I got there you were out cold, I thought it'd be rude to just let you die so I saved you."

"Thank you…umm"

"What?"

"I didn't get your name"

"I didn't give it to you"

"I suppose your right"

Silence follows, neither of us says anything. "So" she starts, breaking the silence "Who's Leona?" "What?" I ask confused. "I said 'Who's Leona?' you called her name out so much while you were asleep so I got curious." I can feel my face warm up as I blush at the thought of doing something so embarrassing. "She your girlfriend or something?" "Oh no no no" I immediately respond shaking my head in denial. "Leona? My girlfriend? Get real. Leona would never fall for someone as weak as me. She's not far off base though, I've been in love with Leona for almost as long as I've known her. But, nothing will come of it. I'm weak, I'm not fit for someone as radiant and beautiful as Leona. She's like the sun, and I'm just a person. A man can never reach the sun, no matter how high they jump. If that's the case how am I supposed to do anything? I can't even keep my promise".

"What promise?" she asks "Huh?" I stare in confusion.

"The story was getting interesting keep going"

"I said that all out loud?"

The girl responds with a curt nod, I hide my face in my hands in embarrassment. I can't believe I just told someone all of that. "Come on kid, there's no point in getting embarrassed. You've already told me this much there's no point in hiding the rest" She has a point, I've already gone this far, might as well finish my story. I lift my head from my hands and look at her. "So, what was the promise?" "Alright. I'll tell you."

"It was around the time I first met Leona. We would hang out and play and just have fun. But one day, our parents were called to a battle down at the mountain base. We waited for them to return. When my father got back we ran to him excited to hear his story, but my father had no great tales today. During the fight Leona's parents both died, my father apologized to Leona for being unable to help them. She just cried. She was always the cry baby, she never liked fighting. So I walked up to her and wiped her tears, she looked up to me and I said 'Don't worry Leona, you don't have to fight. I'll become super strong. Strong enough to protect you and your grandmother so that you don't even have to fight. I'll become so strong no one can kill me, I promise'. She thanked me. But as the years went on Leona surpassed me and I just fell further and further behind"

We sat in silence. Having finished my story I waited for her to make fun of me. She raised her hand. I close my eyes waiting for her to hit me and call me an idiot. But the strike doesn't come, instead I feel a warm hand rubbing my head. I open my eyes and look to her. "That was a sweet story kid" she gives me a kind smile. She lifts her hand.

"The way I see it, you lost the will to keep going, you've gotten distracted. What have you been doing instead of fighting?"

"You're going to laugh"

"Come on kid tell me"

"…"

"Well come on"

"baki…"

"Come again, louder this time"

"Baking"

I await her imminent laughter but it doesn't come. I look to her, she's taken a look of serious thought. "Well" She starts "The way I see it you have a choice. You can either, A. keep on baking and leave her fate to chance, or B." A pause before she tells me the second option. I lean in close in anticipation. "YOU CAN GET YOUR CRAP TOGETHER!" she yells at the top of her lungs then promptly strikes my head.

"You can quit baking and start living up to your promise. Become the man that can keep her safe."

"But, even if I try I'm just so weak"

"You aren't going to get anywhere with that attitude! You need to ignore what everyone else is saying. Find a way that works for you and become strong!"

"Find a way that works for me?"

She gives me a forceful nod. I look outside as I notice the storm clearing and the sun shining, "I have to go, Thank you, for everything." I start to run down the mountain with a new determination I've never felt before, but turn back for a moment. "Wait, are you going to be alright?" I call back to her. "I'll be fine" she yells back waving at me, "Now go on, your princess is waiting".

* * *

**Author Notes**

So I put this note here just to say that these chapters were quick but everything else from now on will be once a week or so. Sometimes faster, depends on the week. I hope you enjoy my writing. Please leave your comments whether it be how to improve myself or just things you like about the story. Happy reading. :)


	3. Chapter 2 - The Journey Begins

**Chapter 2 - The Journey Begins**

My face hits the ground. I can hear a ringing in my ear. How many times now, 3? I've lost track. I can hear my father's voice but I can't understand the words. A long time ago I decided it's best to just wait until he's done, but today will be the last day I'll do that. It'll all be over tonight. My father leaves to his chambers, he seems to have stopped now. My head hurts. I'll just lay here, at least until the pain stops. I can feel something. I look up. Leona is at my head bandaging my wounds. I look away immediately, I'm too embarrassed to face her. I need to apologise. I open my mouth to speak. "I'm sorry". I hear the words, but that wasn't my voice. I look back up to see Leona, with…tears. She's crying. "L…Leona? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" I ask, it hurts to talk but I need to know. "B….Because you could have died and it was my fault. If I didn't say something so mean and selfish then you wouldn't have run away" We sit together, not saying a word as Leona softly cries.

After helping me bandage myself Leona left for dinner and I got to work. I didn't tell her about my plan, she'd disagree and I can't refuse Leona so I have to do this in secret. I've packed light because I need to travel far before morning, or else someone might try and bring me back. I put on my coat, I'm not sure what the weather is like down the mountain but I'll wear this just to be safe. I walk out of my room and slowly down the hall to make sure I don't wake anyone. I can hear my father's snoring as I tip-toe into his room. Carefully I place a note written for him on his bedside table. I stop for a moment and just stare at my father. I've never really taken the time to really look at him. He looks so tired. I know what you're thinking and that's not what I mean. I mean, he looks spent, like someone who has been doing something for too long and they're ready to stop. I think about these things for a while, but soon dismiss these thoughts as I notice the time. I quietly leave my father's room taking care not to wake him. I silently make my way out the front door. I can feel the cool night air run over me. I would have liked to go in the morning when it's warmer, but if I do that I'd run into endless problems.

I arrive at my final stop before leaving. I need to be careful here or my departure will be a lot harder. I quietly enter Leona's house and make my way to the dining room. I carefully place my note for her on the table, but just as I turn to leave I hear a voice speak to me "Why not have some tea?" I turn to see Leona's grandmother, Sophia, standing in the door way. I do nothing as I stand there staring at her. "You don't have to worry, I just want to talk". I submit to her request and sit down as she prepares some warm drinks for us. After sitting down she begins to speak. "So Dion, why is it you've come at such a late hour?"

"I was just out for a walk and I thought I'd drop by"

"Then why were you being so quiet?"

"Well…that is…umm"

"Dion"

"Y…yes ma'am?"

"What is this really about?"

I really can't win with her. Sophia has a way with guilt that is borderline magical. I close my eyes a moment to collect my thoughts. I open my eyes trying to display my resolve. "I need to become stronger. So I can protect myself, so I can protect the people close to me. But, most importantly so I can protect Leona." Sophia takes a sip of her tea for what feels like forever. Without saying a word she rises from her seat and walks over to a chest. After a moment of fiddling around she produces an object covered by a cloth. She slowly walks back over to the table and places the object down. She then explains "Dion, I'm not sure what has happened. However, I can see a fire in your eyes that I haven't seen from you since you were a child" she places her hand on the object and takes on a sort of nostalgic expression. She removes the cloth to reveal an old helmet. "This…this was Nikias' helmet. It's not much but I want you to take this…for luck". She pushes the helmet closer to me as I examine it. It has a few bumps and dents on it, but besides that the helmet looks brand new. It's hard to believe Leona's father wore this helmet.

"Thank you, Sophia, for everything. Not just the helmet, for always believing in me" She gives me a warm smile "No need to thank me Dion, you're practically family. Also, don't worry too much about Leona. I'll make sure she gets your note, and I'll keep this meeting a secret". We both finish our tea in silence, only breaking it with her few questions about my plan. I tell her very little, as with my limited knowledge on the world beyond the mountain I don't have much to say. My basic plan is to travel for a couple of years, searching for 'A way that works for me' just like that girl told me too. Once I've done that I can return for the Rite of Kor.

The Rite of Kor is a ceremony happens once a year for all of those who have reached 18 years of age. It's a series of 1-on-1 battles to the death. This is a ceremony created to deal with the limited amount of food here on mount Targon. If you refuse to participate you are executed for treason. It's a harsh but 'necessary' system, as the elders say. All men have to participate. Families like Leona's who have no sons need to have whatever children they have participate. However, there's a rule around this. If a man of the required age fights for their house instead of his own, then the daughters of the house don't have to fight. This means that if I can become strong I can fight in Leona's place. Leona hates pointless fighting. I want her to be able to live her life, without having to fight.

Once I've finished my tea, I thank Sophia again and start to leave. "Aren't you forgetting something?" She asks me gesturing to the helmet on the table. I walk over to the helmet wrapping it in the cloth and placing it in my bag. I thank her once more before leaving and start my walk down the mountain. At the edge of the village I take one last look back. This is the only place I've ever known. I'm not a kid anymore, but I'm not an adult. I can feel my legs tremble. I'm scared. Once I descend the mountain I'll be on my own. Thinking this I remember Leona's tears from yesterday. My legs stop shaking. That's right, if I don't do this who will? With that final push, I begin my decent. There's no looking back now. Wait for me Leona. I'll return one day. I'll return as a man who can protect that smile. Even if I can't reach the sun, I can at least protect its world.

* * *

**Authors Notes**

Sightly less words then the last update, but I didn't really want to drag this out. So, Dion has started his journey exciting right? Side note: I know the right of Kor is actually age 16, but I made it 18 because if it was 16 then logistics would put Dion at a stupidly young age. For those who don't have a gauge, Dion is about 14 at this point, same with Leona, as they are the same age. So because the chapter is short I'll pop up chapter 3 really soon. Enjoy reading :)


	4. Chapter 3 - The Prodigal and the Artisan

**Chapter 3 - The Prodigal and the Artisan**

It's hot. It's been almost a week now. After I reached the bottom of the mountain I learned a few things. On the bright side of things when I look around rather than snow and clouds, I see actually scenery. Also, it's very easy to breathe down here, however, on the darker side it's unimaginably hot down here! I find myself questioning how there could possibly be things that live down here. With these thoughts running through my mind I continue my walk. As I trudge forward I come to a large sand hill. I struggle to walk up it but sand, as I learned, likes to slide around. As I near the top, I see some kind of structure. "Oh! I've heard of these things they're called Pyramids" I state this, as if I was speaking to someone but this is more to keep my own sanity.

Once I reach the top of the hill I find myself frozen in awe. "Either the desert is playing tricks on me or those pyramids are flying" What I see before me are pyramids suspended by nothing several hundred feet of the ground. "That's no mirage, those pyramids are flying. Although no one knows how." I said before that talking out loud was for my sanity, but I think it's done more harm than good because now I'm hearing things. "So what brings you out to the Shurima?" A voice? This time I'm sure I wasn't hearing things. I look around for the source of the voice. As I turn to my left I am greeted with the face of a…horse? A…talking horse? "So talking horses are normal down here?" I ask the complacent animal. "Well this guys a camel, but anything's possible. On a side note, I'm back here" As the voice speaks I turn more to see a young looking man riding a cart being pulled by the camel. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate you sounded like an animal. It's just…it's really hot and it's started to get to me" I try to apologize to the young man.

"That's alright, although this is the 'Desert' so it's only natural that it'd be hot"

"I guess you're right"

"If you were planning on coming to the Shurima then why didn't you prepare for the heat?"

"Well I didn't really 'plan' on coming this way, I'm more wandering then anything"

"A wandering warrior perhaps?"

"Me? A warrior? What makes you say that?"

"Well, you're dressed in sort of tattered rags like a nomad and you have that knife at your side. Also you are a little bigger than most guys I know"

"I'm no warrior, but I'm trying to become one. So I started wandering to find a way to learn"

"Hmm, so in other words, you're looking for 'experience'?"

"Well, yeah I guess"

"Perfect! Then how about you join me on my expedition?"

"Expedition?"

"Umm, it's like a quest. Anyway I could use some help and you're looking for experience, so why don't we work together?"

"…"

"Oh! That's right. I haven't even introduced myself. Hi, I'm Ezreal"

He gestures his hand for a hand shake. He seems trust worthy enough. I take his hand in mine and give it a firm shake. "My names Dion, although I'd like to hear what this 'quest' is before I accept" I make sure to keep my face serious, I remember hearing that people down here are ruthless and pray upon those who show weakness. He looks to be after we break hands. After a moment he bursts into laughter. I ask him confused "Did I say something weird?" "No" he responds "I just feel you're taking this too seriously and life's no fun when you're taking everything so seriously. Take it from me man, when life gets too much just laugh then all your problems will wash away." This guy seems weird, but maybe he has a point. He continues "Anyway, about my plan. I'm on a mission from Piltover to explore one of those pyramids then report what I see inside" "Wait a minute…" This guy wants to explore the flying pyramids? He hardly looks any older than me?! "You can't do something like that. Aren't you a little young to be exploring somewhere so dangerous?" In response to my warning Ezreal only smiled and said "It's only dangerous when you think about it"

I just stared at him. How can he be so fearless? Wait, what am I thinking? This is a perfect opportunity. If we go together I can learn how he does it. "Alright, I'll agree to your plan. However, I do have one question." "What's that?" I look towards the pyramid and point up to it. "How exactly are we getting up there?" Ezreal looks up smiles gesturing to me with a close fist and raise thumb and says "You just leave that to me".

We walk for a few minutes before arriving at the area under the pyramid. I asked Ezreal why we didn't ride the wagon. He just told me walking was faster and if anything happened he wanted to make sure his deposit was safe. I'm not really sure what he meant but it wasn't that far of a walk. Once we get there Ezreal seems to zone out staring at the colossal pyramid. "So, now what?" I ask him. "Now, I get to work". After he answers me he brings his goggles over his eyes and shouts "Away!" as he thrusts his hands into the air…"Is that it?"Ezreal looks to his backpack and with a chuckle to himself he says "I forgot to turn it on".

Ezreal pulls a cord at the base of his backpack and immediately throws his hands back to the sky. After a small delay the bag tears open to reveal a large metal device. From this device long make shift wings extend out. Ezreal looks to me and says "Now watch this!" He bends his knees and with a jump, fire bursts out of the device as Ezreal shoots into the sky. He…he's FLYING?! I watch in awe as Ezreal disappears into the sky. "Amazing" I find myself enthralled with the event as I notice something falling quickly. I move out of the way as I hear a thud. I look to see a rope with a rock tied to it and on that rock is a small piece of paper. I pick up the rock and untie the rope, after that I open the paper. Words. I read the note 'Wasn't that cool? I'll need to know what it looked like, Jayce told me to take notes on it. Anyway tie the rope around you and tug twice.' Following the instructions from Ezreal I tie the rope around myself and tug twice. I stand there for a few seconds before the rope begins quickly pulling me upward towards the pyramid.

It only takes a few minutes for me to join Ezreal on the pyramid. It would appear his flying machine was what pulled me up. "So what exactly is that thing?" I ask as I point to his machine.

"That's my 'Hextech Mini-Jet'. It was a gift from Jayce. The pulley mechanism was added by another guy I know."

"Who's Jayce?"

"He's a friend of mine from Piltover. He's a scientist"

"Interesting"

"Well then, shall we get to it?" Ezreal gestures to the entrance of the pyramid. He walks ahead as I follow. As we walk the light from outside shows less and less. "Hey Ezreal, isn't it a little dark?" I ask him. "Is it?" he turns to me and after a moment hits his forehead "Oh yeah, I have my goggles, but it's probably hard for you to see". So Ezreal can see? This guy seems to have a lot of interesting tools. "Ah, here we are. Take these" Ezreal extends his hands and I take what he's holding. It appears to be an extra pair of goggles. I put them on and when looking through them the halls of the pyramid appear dimly lit. "Another gift from Jayce?"

"No, this was one of the tools the city gave me. I think they said Professor Heimerdinger made them"

"Heimerdinger?"

"He's the founder of the Yordle Academy of Science & Progress"

"Yordles? They're those little furry people right?"

"Ha-ha yeah I guess they are"

"Ezreal, just who are you? You look like a kid but you're out here exploring this pyramid and you were even sent by your city"

"I'm Ezreal the Grandmaster Explorer of Piltover, I do all the exploring for Piltover's research"

"But you're just a kid, why would they make you do that?"

"Well I asked to come to the Shurima because the ruins are so interesting, although once I showed interest they asked if I could check out the at least one of the pyramids"

"You asked to come? But you're just a kid why are yo-

"HEY! Let's get this straight. I may be a kid, but that doesn't matter. It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, what your name is, or even how old you are! What matters is your will to do it. I love exploring and I love adventure so I'm not going to let something like my age stop me and neither should you"

I find myself taken aback by his words. I've always been told I can't do things and I'd even started to doubt myself on my journey. But, this guy doesn't let that stop him. Ezreal just keeps pressing forward. You can tell him 'No you can't' and he just laughs it off and shows you that he can. "Ezreal…I'm sorry I doubted you." I bow slightly to him as I apologized. "Hey, stand up straight" I stand back up and look at him. "If you're all humble like that you'll embarrass me. If you want to be sorry, then show it rather than say it".

We traverse the pyramids halls in silence. I'm taken aback by this mighty structure. To think that these buildings were built thousands of years ago. I notice some markings on the wall, they look like pictures. As I examine them Ezreal notices me and approaches, "That's ancient Shuriman Hieroglyphics. I don't know much about them, but there's a guy in Piltover who offered to pay me for as much as I can get on them" As Ezreal says this he seems to be writing down notes on the pyramid. "So why exactly where you asked to come here. I'm sorry to bring this up again but you look younger than me so it's just surprising to hear you were 'asked to'."

"Well I was asked to come here to explore the ruins and learn what I can"

"But why would they ask someone so young and to go alone?"

"Well the alone thing was on my request. They wanted to give me a whole team but I told them 'Just get Jayce to give me some gear and I'll do it alone' and they agreed"

"You asked to go alone? Why would you do that?"

"Well that's because I work best alone. I don't like working in big groups because everyone just gets in the way"

"But it's dangerous to go alone"

"I said before Dion, it's only dangerous if you think about it"

"But…aren't you scared?"

Ezreal gives me a serious expression, "Of course I am"

What? Ezreal's scared? I know I asked but I didn't actually think he was scared. I stare at him as he continues to speak, "I am scared, I'd be stupid if I wasn't. However…just because I'm scared doesn't mean I should let that stop me. I love exploring, so I won't let my being scared get in the way of that". I could feel the passion in Ezreal's word. He really does love exploring.

"Don't you have something like that Dion? Something that you love"

I feel my cheeks become flushed as Leona comes to my mind. I quickly look away from Ezreal in embarrassment. "You alright Dion?"

"Y…y…yeah I'm fine"

"Oh! So it's a girl right?"

"W…w…what are you talking about?"

"Alright Dion, how about I tell you a bit about myself to make it fair"

"…"

"Alright then where to start"

We walk down a corridor to take ourselves further down a hallway as Ezreal tells me about his life. "So, to start I was born in Piltover. Much like my parents I was put into magic school early, however that didn't last long. I had skill for magic, I passed my classmates quickly. After that magic just became easy, so I got bored. So, while wandering around the city I found something. I found a secret door, it led underground. I started spending my days in the tunnels exploring them always finding a new path. After about a year of doing this I had managed to map out the entire underground of Piltover. Somehow my mom found my maps and word started getting around about what I did. After I got home from my daily wandering, some men from the government were at my house. They asked to speak to me, turns out they wanted to buy my maps. After some discussion they told me I had skill, and that they wanted to hire me. They told me I'd get to do more exploring so, after a short interview they hired me to be the Grandmaster Explorer of Piltover"

"How old were you when this happened?"

"Well I finished my maps when I was about eight and it was a couple months before they hired me"

"You were eight?! So you were hardly nine when they hired you?"

"They acknowledge my skill, most of my jobs where close to the city until now. They didn't want to send me out too far without at least some more experience. I managed to convince them instead of waiting ten years to wait three, but because of the time I spent in the underground I only waited two"

"How many jobs have you been on since then?"

"Oh, this is my first job since then"

"What? You're eleven?!"

"Well I'm still ten but my birthday is in about two weeks"

I'm pathetic, Ezreal's three years younger than me but he's so confident in himself. I'm still unsure even after coming down here.

"So now it's your turn Dion"

"What?"

"It's your turn to tell me about yourself"

"Oh, well there's not much to tell. I was born on Mount Targon in the Rakkor tribe, although I always felt out of place. In a tribe of fighters I could never manage to keep up. So, I left to become a better warrior"

Ezreal gives me a bland look, "Dion, you can't hold out on me like that. Tell me about the girl" Ezreal jokingly elbows me in the side. I avert my gaze from him, I have to tell him now after he shared all that with me.

"Her name is Leona…she's my childhood friend and I came down here for her"

"Just a friend?"

"Yes, but a very dear friend to me. She's like family to me…her and her grandmother are the only real family I have and I want to protect that. So, I have to become stronger to protect them"

There's a silence between us for a moment, I look over to Ezreal and he's wearing a large cheeky smile, "Dion you ladies' man you" Ezreal gives me a soft punch in the shoulder.

"I like you Dion, you're a good guy"

"I like you too, Ezreal"

"Please Dion, call me Ez. That's what all my friends call me"

"Alright…Ez"

A friend, I've only ever been called that by Leona and Sophia. It feels nice. Although that didn't last long. Our warm moment is short lived as I notice the uneven ground under Ezreal. "Watch out!" I yell to him as I jump forward pushing him away. After pushing him away the ground gives out and I fall down a passageway. All I can hear is the crumbling of rocks accompanied with the muffled shouts of Ezreal.

**Authors Note**

As promised this chapter was quick. Also, I must add that originally it was 1700 words, but due to someone taking initiative I made it longer. After being asked I checked it and noticed "Wow, Ez and Dion suddenly are friends but they know nothing about each other" so I planned on adding 500ish words on them getting to know each other but it ended up being 1000 extra words. So, exciting chapter? What happened to Dion? Where is he now? Is he safe? Well we'll just have to wait till the next chapter to find out. (May be a little slow, haven't a small case of writers block).


	5. Chapter 4 - The Chains that bind us

**Chapter 4 - The Chains that bind us  
**

I open my eyes. I've been asleep, but how long? I've opened my eyes but I can't see anything. It's too dark. I can feel my pulse rising as panic settles in. Where am I? What was I doing? Damn it! I need to remember what happened! I'm shaking so much. The familiar sensation...this is fear. I need to calm down but I'm just so scared. I should have known…I can't do it. I'm so scared I can't even move. I'm just going to die here, with no one to find me. I'm sure they'll all forget about me. My dad will probably just laugh about how he was right about me, and how foolish I was. No…I don't want to die here…I have so much left to do. I feel the welling of tears in my eyes. I sit in fear, only accompanied by the sound of my crying.

What that? I see a light in the distance, it seems to be coming from a door way. The light beckoned me to enter the room. As if drawn by a hypnotic force I walk towards the room. As I reach the door I notice the light is flickering. I enter the door, it takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the light. I examine the room, the stone walls are covered in markings similar to the mark a whip leaves on someone's back, but these look more like burns. The room is completely empty save a large coffin in the center of the room. The coffin is odd in shape, constructed of metal and chain with similar marks to the walls. It also seems…warped, as if something was pushing from the inside. I cautiously approach it to get a closer look. There's a strange mark on the very center of the coffin. While examining the coffin I spot the source of the light. It's a hole on the side of the coffin. A blue light emanates out of it and I mean _out_ of it. The light looks almost like gas climbing out of the coffin in sort of a wisp like fashion. I notice my fear has almost completely vanished. This light feels calming, it fills me with a feeling of safety, as if I have nothing to fear. I notice a piece of the coffin on the ground, it has a slight glow to it similar to the light in the coffin. I reach out to pick it up, I can probably use this as a light source to find my way out. Upon picking up the shard it vanishes from my vision. I look around to see where it went but I can't find it.

I use my time in this room to think of what to do, however my time is cut short as suddenly the pyramid begins to shake. I get the odd feeling Ezreal is behind this. Ignoring that thought for now I look for a way to get out of here. I frantically search the room for an exit, but the only door is the one I came thought and that pathway is collapsed. It's a better shot then staying here right? I run through the door to try to find an exit, but that plan fails before it even began. I fall to the ground once I get to the door as a sharp burning pain erupts into my chest, to add to my plight the walls and floor start to break and fall. "EZREAL! WHERE ARE YOU? HELP!" I cry out in an effort for salvation, but my cries are unheard. Ezreal doesn't come.

As I'm ready to give in to the inevitable I'm overwhelmed with energy. Adrenaline? I don't have time to question it. I force myself up powering through the pain. The collapsing rubble opens a path, using this opportunity I start to run. I find myself running faster than I ever have. A hole opens up in the floor, blocking my way. Any other day I would have stopped out of fear, but without skipping a beat I leap across the hole. Where is this energy coming from? This is too much to just be adrenaline. I dismiss these thoughts as my exit comes into view. I run even faster to beat the collapse of the pyramid. When I reach this exit I leap forward out of the pyramid only to be greeted with straight sky. In my mindless rush of energy I seem to have forgotten that the pyramid is hundreds of feet of the ground. I plummet to the ground with great speed. Upon impact my world goes black.

…

"DION!" Who's that? "DION!" I hear my name being screamed out. Who is it? "DION" It sounds like Leona. I can see her running towards me. She grabs my shoulders and starts shaking me, "Dion, Dion speak to me! Are you alright? Come on Dion! Wake up!" She looks sad. Did something bad happen? "I'm sorry Dion" Leona's crying now, but I don't know why. "I tried to save you Dion, I'm sorry" Save me? Did I die? Ha, I should have guessed. I was bound to fail from the start. "I'm sorry Leona. I failed you." She gives me a confused look as she says, "Leona? Who's Leona? Dion it's me, Ezreal". At the sudden shock of Ezreal's voice coming from her face I snap to my senses, as Leona transforms into my explorer friend. "Ez?! What happened? Did you die too?"

"Die? It was a close call for me sure, but I made it. I thought _you_ were dead"

"What happened?"

"Well, after you pushed me aside and fell down that hole the route became impassable. So I hurried forward to try and find you. In the midst of my searching I found an artifact"

"So what happened after that?"

"I examined the artifact and learned that it's a magical amulet, I'll spare you the explanation on what it does. So I decided to take it while I'm here. After picking it up, the pyramid started collapsing. So, I panicked and tried to find you as best I could, but I failed and had to escape. When I got outside I watched the collapsing pyramid and in the middle of the falling structure saw you leap out of it, but you hit the ground before I could get to you. That impact should have killed you how did you survive?"

"I jumped out of the pyramid?!"

"Yeah, don't you remember?"

"No, I don't remember anything from after I fell down that hole, it's all just blank"

"How do you feel? Pain anywhere?"

"No, I feel…fine?" I stand up to show Ezreal I'm alright

"Take it slow Dion, you just fell a couple hundred feet. Even if you feel alright there must be something wrong"

Ezreal seems very put off by this and to be honest I'm worried too. I don't remember falling, but if I did by all means I should be dead. Sure the Rakkor are strong, but we are humans. If a human crashes down from the sky they will more than likely die or at least be heavily injured. "Well, if you think you can go on I won't stop you. Shall we be off?"

"Where are we going?"

"To Piltover of course, aren't you looking for experience? In that case Piltover is the best place"

"You don't mind me traveling with you?"

"Of course not, we're friends aren't we?"

I'm taken back by Ezreal's statement. Friend. I still can't completely come to terms with how some one actually sees me as a friend. I've only ever been close with Leona and Sophia and I've always taken kind people as pitying me. So, to hear someone call me friend feels a little odd but, I like it. "Hey Ez, wait for me" I call out to him as we walk back to the cart leaving this adventure behind us. Although, leaving this place I can't help but feel uneasy. What exactly happened to me in there?

…

We arrived, after about two days of riding, at a small village. The village goes by the name Kalamanda. It's a small village just north of Mogron Pass. It feels a lot like my home, mainly due to the wooden houses, the small scale of it all, and everyone seems to have a concise job to do. Although, unlike my home the people here seem genuinely happy and I can see why, this is a legitimately beautiful town. I hear Ezreal rummaging through the cart behind me. He looks to me with a disappointed expression, "Stop the cart Dion" I do as Ezreal instructs and bring the cart to a halt. He joins me in the front seat with a bag in hand, "Dion…we're friends right?" I'm surprised by Ezreal and his sudden serious question, "Of course we are Ez" After my response he looks directly into my eyes with a serious expression, "Friends look out for each other right?" Ezreal's serious tone worries me as I cautiously respond, "I…I believe so…"

"Friends will stick together even in tough situations, right?"

"Y…y…yes?"

"Dion…"

"Y…y…yes Ezreal?"

There's a pause before he speaks. Although he isn't silent long his serious tone makes it feel like an eternity. I'm afraid of what Ezreal is going to say next, it's as if the tension between us is a real physical thing. Ezreal takes a deep breath in and stares me straight in the eyes. He bows his head and says, "I'm sorry Dion" Sorry? Ezreal's sorry? "Wait, what are you talking about?" Did Ezreal do something? What's wrong? All of these questions and more circle my head as Ezreal answers, "Well Dion, you see…I've umm…made a bit of a mistake"

"What kind of mistake?"

"Let me show you something"

Ezreal reaches into the bag he was holding and pulls out a crystal, about the size of a hand. It's a diamond shape with gold coloured metal framework around it. It also seems to have an oddly mesmerizing glow about it. "It's a translocation crystal, it's used to teleport to a pre-set location"

"Alright, what about it?"

"That was how I was supposed to get back. I rode all the way here, but as that's a long ride we decided I would port home once I was done in the desert"

"Why haven't we done that?"

"Well first I had to return the cart and camel, then retrieve my horse. The guy who lent me the cart and is taking care of my horse lives here. However, this is where our problem comes in. This crystal I have only has enough juice to take me, the horse and something extra"

"Then we're set aren't we?"

"Well we were…until I remembered, that given the size of the artifact I took, the amulet won't be able to take all of us"

As Ezreal says those words the situation we are in dawns on me and I realize what needs to be done. I reach for my bag in the cart and dismount. I look up to Ezreal and give him a smile, "Best of luck then, maybe I'll see you around" With that I begin walking, with no specific destination in mind. Only the road at my feet and the wind at my back to guide me. Although my journey is cut short by a shout from Ezreal, "Dion, where are you going?" I turn back to see Ezreal running up to me, "Well, I don't really know the land but, I suppose I'll just walk until I find something" Ezreal closes his eyes and places his hand on his face, "Dion I think you misunderstood me" Misunderstood? I thought his message was clear. The crystal can't take all of us so Ezreal needs to go alone and that means we need to go our separate ways. "Dion, the crystal doesn't have enough power to take us both so I need to give is more juice. The problem is that we need to stay here for the night delaying our return a day because the process will take me a while"

"So, you aren't going to teleport off and leave me?"

"No, I would never leave my best friend Dion behind"

"B..best?"

Ezreal after saying that looks away from me, "M…m…moving on we need to find a place to stay for the night. I'll go pick up the horse and drop off the cart. Do you think you could rent a room at the inn?"

"I think I can manage, it shouldn't be that hard"

"Great, I'll meet you at the inn once I'm done. Use this to pay them"

Ezreal hands me a small pouch with some gold in it. With that he mounts the cart and takes it off into the village. With that I'm left to myself. Since Ezreal forgot to tell me where the inn is I take this time to do some exploring of my own and take a more detailed look at the town. It shouldn't be that hard to find an inn…should it?

* * *

**Authors Notes**

About 200 words shorter then I wanted but I got what I wanted written. Sorry this one took a little longer, I got lazy about it, and used setting my twitter, tumblr and the facebook page as an excuse XP But it's up now so I hope you like it, I'll try to be faster about Chapter 5. Happy Reading :)


	6. Chapter 5 - Melodies we all hear

**Chapter 5 - Melodies we all hear**

Honesty, I should have known it would turn out like this. I've been searching for about thirty minutes now and I have nothing to show for it, although I should have expected this. As Ezreal had left me to this task it donned on me that I have no idea what an Inn looks like. From what Ezreal said I assumed it was a place where you can purchase temporary rooms, but as everyone in my village lived in their own homes and we had no visitors from down the mountain we had no need for such a service. As such I have been wondering around this village aimlessly with no results. I've thought about asking for directions, but everyone just looks so busy. As I wander the village a voice calls out, "Hey Kid, you look lost. Why not take a load off?" I look around to see a man sitting in front of a building holding some sort of long object with strings on it. The man himself has a large build, he wears baggy indigo clothing and large beads around his neck with a circular straw hat covering his face. However, the most notable feature of him is that each of his hands only has three fingers. What race is he? I've only run into humans so far, could this be my first encounter with another race? Although it might be rude to ask what race he is, I instead decide I'll ask Ezreal about it later. The first order of business is to figure out if he's talking to me so I ask him, "Excuse me sir but are you talking to me?"

"Well kid, are you lost?"

"Well, you have a point. I do seem to be the only lost person here, so you must be talking to me"

"That's where you're wrong kid, if you look more closely you'll see that you aren't the only one who's lost. Take a seat"

I do as the man instructs and take a seat in front of him. I still can't get a good look at his face, as hard as I try. Once I've seated myself he starts plucking the strings and as if magic they begin to produce beautiful sounds. Music. This is music, I've heard of this. In the Rakkor there's not much need for such a craft, as the applications to combat are nonexistent. To actually become skilled in this craft one would have to sacrifice all combat ability. As he plays his music he speaks to me, "Take a look around kid, tell me what you see" I do as he says and around me I see some men talking, and after that I see the area I can only assume is the market. In the market I see people handing back and forth money and goods. Past this I see a man riding a cart with large barrels in it. I relay all of this information to the man and he responds, "All of this is true, but you missed some key things." I look around and see nothing more then what I saw before and ask him, "What is it I'm missing? I can't see more then what I told you"

"Just to name a few, the bird in that tree. Isn't there something interesting about its colors?"

"There isn't a bird in that tr-"

As I look I am astounded to find not just a regular bird, but one with rainbow colored feathers. It's so beautiful why didn't I see if before? It's not oddly small, in fact now that he's pointed it out I feel silly for not noticing it in the first place. The bird is rather quite obvious.

"My next point, over there by the cart. There's a small boy pilfering the riders goods"

I look to the cart, and I don't see what he's referring to. Although after a short moment of careful examination I notice a boy sneaking up to the back of the cart. Once back there he pulls a knife out of his back pocket and attempts to cut open one of the sacks as the cart moves. I run over to the cart shouting towards the boy, "Hey! Stop him! Thief!" In response to my shouting some people notice the boy and attempt to grab him, but he's too quick for them. He dashes off and manages to lose us in between two houses. If I could fit in there I could have easily caught him, he wasn't very fast.

The man riding the cart is impressed by me noticing the thief and thanks me with an apple from one of his bags. Caught up in the moment I've forgotten all about the man with the straw hat. I rush back to where he was to find him still sitting there playing his music. I take my seat and ask him, "So why did no one notice those things, the bird and the kid stealing?"

"It's because most of these people are lost"

"Lost? How can they be lost? They all appear to know how to get around and what does that have to do with seeing things?"

"No Kid. You're thinking about it all wrong. They aren't literally lost, they're spiritually lost, and they don't know where their path is yet"

"Their path? What do you mean?"

"Everyone has a path, think of it like destiny, and because of this everyone is always constantly racking their brain over what their supposed to do next. Their all distracted, do you follow me? Since they are constantly looking forward trying to zone in of their goal, they all loss site of what's around them. None of them are taking time to look around, rather than just forward"

"So, since you can see those things, does that mean you know what lies ahead?"

The man chuckles slightly as he finishes playing. He raises his hand and the bird from before lands on his finger, "No kid, I'm just as blind as the rest of you. I've just learned to stop and appreciate what's around me, before charging forward. If I don't…" He pauses a moment as he seems to be looking at the bird. He lifts his hand and the bird flies away, "I might just miss what's really important." Although I don't completely follow what he means by that, I can feel weight to his words. The kind of weigh only someone who's lived many years could carry. From this I feel there's more to this man than what meets the eye. He raises his head as I see his face come into view…or rather his mask. The man's face is completely covered by some sort of complex mask with what appears to be six eyes. I find myself rather disappointed with this, I really did want to see his face.

The man places his musical device in a case and slings it over his back. He stands up and addresses me, "So, if I remember before you said you're lost? Do you know where it is you're headed?" Oh, that's right. I was looking for an inn, "Umm, if you could help me I've been looking for the inn and I need to find it quickly. I'm supposed to meet a friend there." The man stares at me for a moment and asks, "You're looking for the inn?" I give him a prompt nod as he brings his hand to his chin, as if in thought. After a moment he says to me, "Alright kid, I'll help you. But, you have to do something for me"

"Well as long as it's something within my power I'll try. What is it?"

He points behind himself to the building he was sitting against, "Come inside the inn and sit with this old minstrel while he has a quick drink"

"Wait…that building there is…"

"The inn. Come on kid"

I feel so embarrassed, I swear I've passed this spot already I just never thought too look at this building. Examining the building I don't feel I was in error. The sign hanging outside it looks like a mug of ale, so anyone would think this is a tavern. While attempting to hide my embarrassment I follow the man into the inn.

The building is fairly simple, the inside looks just like a tavern save the wooden desk with a sleeping old man sitting at it. The wooden tables and chairs look worn and beaten, and they all seem out of place, much like the tavern back home. My thought is cut short as the man offers me a chair at the bar, "Come on kid, take a load off" I do as he says and sit next to him. I take a look around the room and the only people in here with us are the man running the bar, the old man at the desk, and three large men sitting near the front. The men at the back keep shooting us glances, I don't want to start any trouble so I avert my gaze. That's something I learned growing up on Targon, if you don't want to start trouble don't look at anyone, most of the time no one will pay you any mind. The man raises his hand, "Hey barkeep, could I get a mug of ale" The barkeep puts down what he's doing and pours the man a mug of ale, although as he does this I can see him giving the man an odd look, "So…what brings you this far north?" The barkeep asks the man this question with a sort of odd tension to his voice. The man gives a glace back at the men sitting behind us before answering, "I get the distinct feeling you aren't interested in why I'm here. Rather…you're more interested in when I'm leaving" The barkeep is silent as he averts his eyes from the man, "I thought so…you don't have to worry, once I'm done my drink, I'll pay and be on my way back to my travel"

The barkeep goes back to washing mugs, but he's positioned himself farther from us. The man takes his hat off, removes his scarf, and places his case against the bar next to him. Once he's removed his hat I can see that he has short grey hair, although I can see hints of black hair in it. As he reaches for his mask a hand is placed on his shoulder, I look back and the three men who were sitting in the corner are now standing behind us. The three of them are rather large men now that I see them from up close, the one in front with his hand on the man's shoulder is a little taller than the two men behind him. The one on the left has a bit of a smaller build than the other two, while the man on the right is stockier than the others and much shorter. They are all wearing normal clothing. The tallest one speaks, "Hey Old timer, why don't you step outside with us" These guys are obviously looking for a fight, but I can't take them and this is obviously too much for the old man. I have to stop them, "H…h…hey, he isn't causing any trouble just leave him be"

The tallest man scowls at me, "Oh. We should leave him alone? It's non-humans like him that should leave. They have no business being past the great barrier"

"But, if they aren't doing anything wrong why should they be mistreated? He even said he was going to leave after one drink"

"Look kid just back off this isn't your problem"

The man brings his hand towards me, but its journey is cut short as the old man grabs his wrist, "That's right, this isn't the kid's problem. So, how about _you_ back off before someone gets hurt" The man jerks his hand free of the old man's grip, "The only one who's going to get hurt is you old man, now get off that chair so we can teach you a lesson" The old man gives a heavy sigh as he stands from his chair, given his height he's about the same height as the tallest one; however, with someone to compare him to, the old man has a huge body size, "Old man you don't have to do this, let's just get out of here and-" The old man raises his hand to me, "Just give me a second kid. This'll be over quick. Hey barkeep hand me that broom, it looks like there's some cleaning to do" The barkeep seems hesitant at first before the leader speaks to him, "Give it to him barkeep, not that it will do him any good" The barkeep does as instructed and hands the old man the broom from behind the counter. He takes it in hand and examines it, "You really think that broom will do you any good? You should just back off and leave now old man, that way you can avoid getting hurt" The old man brings one of his feet on front of him as he holds the broom with two hands, "That's odd, I was about to say the same thing to you"

What happened after he spoke, was so quick I could hardly keep up. All three of them rushed him and began a relentless assault of swings and hits, but to my surprise the old man, with skill that could only be compared to that of a master, repelled every one of their blows and I mean all of them. Not a single one of them could land a hit on him, "Now, it's my turn" With those words the old man began an attack of his own. Once he had an opening he gave two swift strikes, one to the ankle of the skinnier man and the other to the side of the short man's head. He then flourished his broom and gave a precise strike to the larger man's throat. With these three attacks their assault had stopped. With a leap in the air the old man spun for one more strike, hitting them all, and finishing them off. With the largest man gasping for air his two companions grabbed him and fled the bar. As they left the bar I could hear one of them shout, "Y…y…you haven't seen the last of us" The old man lets out a hardy laugh as he shouts after them, "You better hope it's the last, next time I might not use a broom and just you imagine what this would be like if I had a REAL weapon"

The old man takes his seat at the bar and lets out a chuckle. He looks to the barkeep and asks, "It seems in the confusion I forgot to pay you" The old man reaches into his shirt and pulls out some coins. After the old man pays him the barkeep takes on a slightly more serious expression, "Please don't be too offended by them, and I know what they did was wrong, but…they're just scared. They feel that if too many non-humans come here then we'll attract Noxus' attention"

The old man takes off his mask. His face has a human shape to it, but his skin is purple. His face doesn't reflect the age I thought he did from seeing his hair. He looks young, but battered. He's face is adorned with scars, the most notable being a very large scar across his left eye. The pupil of his left eye is also greyed out. I've seen some older warriors on Targon with that, from what I've been told it means the eye is dead and they can no longer see from it. This blind old music player defeated three guys? Even if he's experienced and they're all amateurs it's three against one and he's half blind. This man must truly be a master. This is it! I need to get him to teach me. Someone of his skill MUST be smart enough to teach someone like me, "Don't sweat it barkeep, I could see their fear and I knew it wasn't for me and if anything it's been a while since I've had some fun like that"

The old man just sits there for a while drinking his drink. I want to ask him, but he's drinking now and that would be rude, but just sitting here isn't accomplishing anything, "Hey Kid" the old man abruptly calls out to me, "You've been fidgeting around for a while, what's on your mind?" I was that obvious eh? Alright this is my chance, "Well I was wondering if you would-" before I can even finish my sentence the old man speaks, "No. I know what you're going to ask kid and I'm not what you think I am" The old man finishes off his drink and the barkeep comes to collect the mug, "But I saw you fight those men you're amazing"

"I'm really not. Kid, what you're looking for isn't what I have. I'm not the serious warrior you think I am. I'm just a guy who can fight when he needs too. What you need is someone who can teach you how to fight and all I can teach you is music. So, unless you want to learn the lute or how to sing, I can't help you"

"I'm sorry"

The air is quiet between the two of us for a while, I feel a tension between us that I'm all too familiar with. It's all because I started demanding things without thinking about how he would feel. I need to do something to alleviate the tension, "So, how long have you been playing?" The old man looks to me and after a moment smiles, "I've been playing ever since I could hold an instrument" Alright that's good, "So who taught you?"

"My father taught me music, and my mother taught me the lute"

"That's nice"

"Alright, my turn for a question, you remember the little boy who stole that apple?"

"Yeah I remember, it's a shame I couldn't catch him. Although, I've never really been a fast runner"

"You're being too humble kid, you zoomed off when you chased that kid. You would have caught him too if it wasn't for him being so small"

"No, no old man I think you're confused. That kid was really slow, that's the only reason I could keep up"

"Kid, I'm telling you, you can run. Probably even faster than me"

"That can't be true. I'm sure if you had chased him too we could have caught him. Wait, why didn't you help chase the thief in the market…No I'm sorry, that was rude of me."

"That's fine kid you're allowed to be curious"

"Alright then, so why didn't you?"

"That was part of your song kid, so I couldn't interrupt"

"My song?"

"Kid, we all have a song to play and only one song. However…there comes some points in life where some measures match the tune another is playing" The old man reaches into his shirt and pulls out a locket hanging from his neck and opens it, "At these times, in only a moment your whole world can change, from the music of just one person" He has sort of a nostalgic look as he gazes at the open locket, but I get a feeling of sadness coming from him. He closes the locket and looks over to me, "But, that's the thing kid. You've got to learn your song before you can really go anywhere. Everyone's instrument's tuned just a little different so, if you go around playing someone else's song then your melody will just clash with theirs. The trick to life kid is finding your beat, then playing to it"

"Did you have someone…I'm sorry I mean I'm just curious..."

"That's alright Kid"

"So, did you…have someone 'change your world'?"

"Once kid…and you can be sure I never knew she would, to be honest I disliked her for a while but…she grew on me"

"What ever happened to her…if you don't mind my asking?"

The old man takes a pause he holds his hand at his chest where the locket is, "I had to let her go…sometimes you have to know when to do that kid and that can be the hardest part, but the impact they had will stay with you forever…even if they weren't meant to"

"I'll remember this old man. Thank you"

"Thank you too kid"

The old man places his mask back on, grabs his hat and case, and dismounts his chair. As he walks out the door I remember something, "Hey old man, I never asked you your name" The old man stops at the door and stands still for a moment. He doesn't face me when he speaks, but with a calm tone he tells me, "It's not who they are that matters kid…it's the impact" With those words the old man leaves.

After remembering my original quest I go to the old man at the front desk to get a room. As it turns out inns aren't that complicated, I just told the man that my friend and I needed a room for the night, he asked for gold and I paid him with the money Ezreal gave me. I make my way up to the room to wait for Ezreal to get here, I made sure before going up that I told the man at the front Ezreal would be coming to join me later. After about two hours of waiting I decided to take a nap.

A lot has happened to me, hasn't it? It's only been about eight days since I left and I've already made a new friend, seen so many new sights, and explored a pyramid…I'm left hanging in thought about the pyramid. Ezreal says I jumped out of the pyramid, but I'm fine and I don't remember ever doing that. All I can recall is falling down that corridor then waking up outside in the rubble being pulled out by Ez. I strain my mind to think of exactly what happened. As I think of it I'm interrupted by a searing pain in my chest. I cry out in agony. What's going on?! What's happening to me?! I need to get a grip and check for the source of the pain.

As I pull up my shirt I'm left in shock by what I see. Imbedded in my chest is a shard of metal but, it's not stabbed into me, it appears like it's grown into me. I see vein like protrusions on my chest extending from its location. What is this? What's happening to me? The veins slowly stop extending from the metal shard and with them the pain leaves too. Where did this come from? This wasn't inside me before. The pyramid? I can feel my breath and pulse quickening. I'm scared. What's happening to me? What happened to me in that pyramid?

* * *

**Author Notes**

Sorry for the long wait, again I promise to try to be faster about this, but it's finally here. I hope my taking a long time is evened out by this being the longest chapter yet, it's 1100 words longer then "Chapter 3 - The Prodigal and the Artisan". I finally got a proof reader so the quality of grammar and spelling should go up. Also, shameless plug but, I started writing Ideas for a "Fiction" (a.k.a not fanfiction) story, watch my tumblr for previews and notes on that, I'd love to hear your thoughts. That aside be sure to drop me a review, I love to here what you guys think, and follow me on twitter for updates on my progress and to harass me to hurry. Until next chapter, Happy Reading :)


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